The New Kid
by FoxEmpress
Summary: Kaku has just been taken away from his orphanage and has been brought to train for CP9. He is surprised and nervous to meet children who seem so serious, especially the mysterious Rob Lucci. May contain some KakuxLucci later on. Here are the characters ages at the beginning: Kaku: 6, Lucci: 11, Jabra: 18, Kumadori: 17, Kalifa: 8, Fukuro: 12 , Blueno: 13.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Government

**Hello I hope you like this story! I don't expect it to be very long, but please R&R! Thank you!**

**I do not own One Piece! ~FoxEmpress**

**~Chapter 1: Welcome to the Government~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku followed the man silently, glancing around nervously. The hallway they were in seemed endless, and he couldn't stop shaking. He still couldn't understand why he had been taken away from the orphanage. Had he been a bad boy?

When they finally reached their destination, Kaku wished that they hadn't. Everything about the rooms inhabitants screamed danger. Kaku began to shake harder as he looked back and forth between the children in the room. The oldest of them was probably about eighteen, but some of the others were closer to his age.

The man who had been leading Kaku down the hall cleared his throat. Everyone in the room immediately stood at attention.

"You are to show this boy around and explain the rules. Understood?" the man demanded.

"Yes sir." the others chorused.

The man left with a nod and Kaku found himself alone in the room, looking back and forth between the serious expressions on the others faces. He couldn't take it anymore. He ran over to the corner and sat down, clutching his knees close to his chest and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he let out a little cry of fright.

The oldest boys face was mere inches from his own. The other boy had a predatory smile on his face, causing Kaku to back away nervously. The scar that ran down over his eye didn't help matters.

"Hey, look at this kid!" he laughed.

Kaku frowned and tried to pull away from the larger boy, but wherever he moved, the scary boy followed.

"Look at his nose!" he roared with laughter.

"Enough Jabra." a boy with black hair snapped.

Kaku looked over at him and was only more frightened. He had never seen any child with such a serious expression. His arched eyebrows gave him a saucey, bored look. Kaku looked at the pure white pigeon perched on his shoulder in confusion.

"You're such a spoil sport Lucci!" Jabra growled.

"We have orders to teach him the rules." Lucci said back calmly.

Jabra shrugged and turned to shoot Kaku one final evil smile before he settled himself on a couch.

"Don't mind him." Lucci said walking over.

Kaku scrambled to his feet, not liking being around all of these strangers. He looked back and forth between their faces before he swallowed hard and opened his mouth.

"Where am I?" Kaku asked.

"He can speak!" Jabra roared with laughter. "You looked like such a baby that I expected to have to teach you how to talk!"

"Yoyoi!" a boy with pale skin and light pink hair turned to Jabra. "Hoooow rude!"

"Chapapa!" a round boy with green hair walked over. "Kumadori's right. We're supposed to teach him!"

"Aww, shut it Fukuro!" Jabra snapped.

Kaku met Lucci's eyes again, trying to ignore the others. "Where am I?"

"You are at a Government facility where you will be trained to become an agent for the cipher pol." Lucci said calmly.

Kaku didn't quite understand what that meant, but he didn't like the sound of it. He sat down on the couch and began to shake again.

"Hey, kid! What's your name anyway?" Jabra asked.

Kaku didn't reply. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he would start to cry.

"I asked you for your name!" Jabra said louder.

Still no response.

"Fine, I guess I'll have to call you Hana." ~**(Note: Hana=nose)**

Kaku glared at Jabra angrily."No way!"

"Well," Lucci said sitting next to Kaku. "What is your name?"

Kaku hesitated. "Kaku."

"Well then Kaku." Lucci said, looking Kaku up and down. "Welcome to the Government."

**~I know that this chapter was short, but hopefully later chapters will be longer. Good bye for now! ~FoxEmpress**


	2. Chapter 2: Promises

**~Promises~**

**~Lucci's POV~**

Lucci studied the young boy the whole time they were on the tour. He studied his tangerine coloured hair, his carefree smile, his long square nose. There was no doubt that the boy was unique. Maybe he would also have some fighting potential. Lucci smiled slightly at the thought.

Lucci looked at Kaku as he turned his huge black eyes towards him.

"Jabra said something about CP9... What's CP9?" he asked.

"CP9 is an elite force of assassins that work for the World Government." Lucci explained. "If we're lucky, we'll all be on that team one day."

"Even me?" Kaku asked with a huge smile.

"Yes, even you." Lucci said, unable to hide his smile.

An hour later, an agent came to take Kaku away for assesment. After some reassurances from Lucci, Kaku finally agreed to go. Lucci turned away from the small boy and looked at Jabra. The older boy had a huge smile on his face.

"What?" Lucci demanded coldly.

"Don't think I didn't notice." Jabra growled slyly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lucci replied.

"You can't fool me Lucci! You like that Kaku kid!" Jabra laughed.

Lucci raised an eyebrow quizically.

"Y'know... You _like _like him!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Lucci scoffed, but he had to turn away from Jabra because he could feel his cheeks burning.

Lucci strode away down the hallway angrily. Maybe he had thought a little about how sweet and cute the other boy was, but it was none of Jabra's concern. When he finally got to his bedroom, he punched the wall angrily. He looked up to see a note on his door and felt his blush deepen. The note read:

_Rob Lucci, the new trainee, Kaku, will be sharing your room. -Spandam_

Lucci shredded the note angrily and stormed into his room. If Jabra had of seen that note...

Before long Lucci fell into a deep sleep. Two hours later he sat bolt upright and growled. Someone had hit him and rudely awoken him. He turned to glare at whoever it was, but his expression softened when he saw Kaku sprawled across his bed. He opened his mouth to speak when he noticed that his small body was being racked by sobs.

"What's wrong?" Lucci asked.

Kaku took a moment to answer, but when he did, he looked up into Lucci's eyes. Kaku's huge eyes were filled with tears that were now running down his cheek. Lucci resisted the urge to reach out and wipe them away.

"I don't want to be here." Kaku sniffled.

"Why not?"

"They showed me horrible things!" Kaku cried, before burying his face in the blankets once more.

Lucci sighed knowingly. He remembered what it was like to first arrive. To start their training, agents would take the children aside and show them gruesome images; villages burning as people tried to extinguish the flames that ate up their flesh, hundreds of dead bodies men, women, and children, rivers of blood flowing from a village that had been destroyed. The whole purpose was to see how the children would react. When they reacted badly, usually they cried, the agents would explain that sometimes sacrifices had to be made for justice.

Lucci remembered crying when he first saw the images, now they had little effect on him.

Lucci looked over at Kaku and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Kaku tackled him. At first, Lucci thought it wa an attack, but when he tried to shove him away, he realized that Kaku was hugging him.

Kaku looked up at him with pleading eyes that broke Lucci's heart.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"It gets better over time." Lucci said, wrapping his own arms around Kaku a little awkwardly.

"It does?"

"Yes, you just need to remind yourself that justice is the only thing that matters." Lucci began to stroke Kaku's hair soothingly.

Eventually Kaku's sobs stopped and he took a few more shaky breaths.

"I'm still afraid. They said that the training here is really hard." Kaku whispered.

"It is." Lucci agreed.

Kaku began to shake again.

"How about this." Lucci held Kaku out at arms length and looked him in the eye. "I'll do the best that I can to help you through it."

"Really!?" Kaku gasped, a huge smile spreading across his face.

"Of course."

Kaku hugged Lucci hard enough to choke him, and they just sat there hugging quietly.

That night, Lucci fell asleep, still hugging Kaku.

**~Second chapters done! I hope you liked it! It's really starting to get into Kaku and Lucci's relationship now! Please R&R ~FoxEmpress**


	3. Chapter 3: Seperation

**~Chapter 3: Seperation~**

**~Two years later...~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku found himself trying harder and harder when it came to training. It wasn't necessarily for the World Government, but more for Lucci. He wanted not only to become as good as the older boy, but he wanted to impress him as well.

As the years passed, he also noticed that Lucci would defend him from Jabra's teasings. Jabra would often poke fun at Kaku's rectangular nose, but Lucci was always there to return some snide remark of his own about Jabra.

Then the horrible day came.

Spandam had called Lucci to his office, while Kaku waited patiently outside to hear about what had happened. When Lucci finally came out of his office, there was a triumphant grin on his face.

"What is it?" Kaku asked.

"I'm in CP9 now." Lucci said, struggling to control the rising joy in his voice.

"That's great!" Kaku cried, jumping to his feet.

Lucci nodded, then another emotion flashed across his face so quickly, Kaku thought he had imagined it. He had been taught to observe things well though and he knew that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Kaku asked.

Lucci looked into his eyes for a moment before turning and walking to the room that they shared. Kaku frowned and hurried after him.

"Don't you trust me enough to tell me?" Kaku begged.

Lucci sighed loudly and turned to look at Kaku again. This time his eyes showed pain in them.

"You do know what this means, right?" he asked.

Kaku shivered slightly, not used to seeing such emotion in Lucci's eyes. "N-No, what does it mean?"

"I'll be going on missions, I probably won't be around here as much as I used to be. And if you don't end up in CP9 too... we probably won't see each other very much." Lucci said, sitting down on the bed.

Kaku stared at him in shock. "You're going away!"

Lucci sighed. "Yes, I will probably be brought to Enies Lobby."

Kaku could feel his eyes widen. "You can't go! Jabra and Kumadori already left! I can't handle it if you leave!"

"Kaku calm down." Lucci said.

"How can I?" Kaku could feel hysteria rising inside of him. "Don't you remember? You promised me! You promised you would help me through my training!"

"You don't need my help anymore. You can handle this on your own." Lucci sighed, getting to his feet.

Kaku glared at him, feeling tears in his eyes. He turned and ran away wthout another word. He couldn't handle watching Lucci pack up what little possessions he had. Instead he went for a swim in the ocean, hoping to get his mind off of the shocking news he had just heard.

Within a week, Lucci was gone.

He had left to perform some kind of mission in a kingdom. Kaku was left alone in his room, wishing desperately that Lucci would come to see him. That was... if he didn't get hurt.

Soon enough, Kaku got his wish. He heard a few of the senior agents talking about Lucci's success on his first mission. What surprised Kaku was the fact that when they spoke Lucci's name, they hardly dared to raise their voices above a whisper. What Kaku did hear was people talking about how Lucci had done something incredible, already making him known for his deadly power.

Kaku was swimming once again when he looked up to see that he was being watched. He stared at his observer with wide eyes for a moment before he flung himself out of the water and at the other boy who watched him.

"Lucci! You're back!" Kaku cried.

"Only temporarily." Lucci said, giving Kaku a small smile.

"How did your mission go?" Kaku asked.

"Come inside and we'll discuss it." Lucci said walking back inside.

Kaku followed him eagerly into their room... well Kaku's room now.

Kaku sat on the bed next to Lucci looking at him expectantly.

"When I arrived, the situation was this," Lucci started. "The soldiers of the kingdom had been taken hostage, causing the king to consider giving up his throne to pirates. I couldn't let that happen so I assured the king that I would handle the situation. I came to the pirates and allowed myself to be captured. Once I was put with the hostage soldiers, I proceeded to kill them all."

Kaku couldn't hold back his gasp of surprise. Lucci turned to face him, his eyes questioning.

"What?" he asked.

"Y-You killed them all?" Kaku gasped.

"Yes, by surrendering to the pirates they displayed weakness. Their weakness put their kingdom in danger, so they were killed."

Kaku nodded, not entirely sure about Lucci's explanation, but accepting it anyway.

"Anyway, when the pirates learned that I killed the hostages, they fired cannonballs at me. Then I killed the captain of the pirates and my mission was completed." Lucci finished.

"You got shot! Are you okay? Are you scarred?" Kaku cried out.

Lucci rose wordlessly and pulled his shirt off. He turned his back to Kaku to show him a huge scar on his back. Five circles, exactly like the World Governments symbol.

Now Kaku understood why the agents had been so fearful when talikng about Lucci. Here he was, a thirteen year old, with the ability to take down an entire army single handedly. Kaku stared at the scars, mesmerized by the pattern they formed and he knew that from this moment on, whether Kaku made it to CP9 or not, himself and Lucci would always be seperated, by the simple fact that he was such a powerful killer, with the mental ability to shrug off his killings. Perhaps one day Kaku would feel the same, but he could never imagine himself like that.

Kaku sighed and wrapped his arms around Lucci, finding comfort in his strong muscles, trying to ignore the fact that soon enough he would be alone again when Lucci had to go away.

**~Here's the end of chapter 3! I hope you like it! Please R&R! ~FoxEmpress~**


	4. Chapter 4: Devil Fruit

**~Chapter 4: Devil Fruit~**

**~7 years later...~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku woke up at the sound of a harsh laugh. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"What?" Kaku asked, still sleepy.

"Get up!" Jabra barked, the wolf man lunged forwards and ripped the blankets off of Kaku's bed.

"Hey!" Kaku cried, crossing his arms as the cold morning air hit his bare chest.

"Spandam wants to see you! Get up Hana!" Jabra laughed louder as he turned to leave the room.

Kaku groaned as he got to his feet. It had only been a month since he had joined CP9, and he hadn't gotten a single mission since his arrival at the Tower of Justice. He smiled to himself anyway. Afterall, now that he was on Enies Lobby he got to see Lucci every day, not that Lucci acted that enthusiastic to see him. He usually insisted that they train all day in order to better serve justice, but Kaku didn't mind. Any day spent with Rob Lucci was a good one in his opinion.

Kaku had noticed that Lucci had changed since he joined CP9. He had always been intimidating with his cold eyes and stoic demeanor, but he seemed even worse now. Kaku had used to be able to make him smile by simply speaking to him on most days, but now he seemed more distant than ever.

Kaku pulled on his uniform and pulled his hat down so that it covered most of his eyes. He walked out of his room and was once again shocked and pleased at the sight of every soldier close by stopping and saluting him. He doubted that half of them even knew his name, but they knew that he was in CP9 and that was enough reason for their respect.

Kaku walked into Spandams office and was pleased when he saw an empty seat next to Lucci. He sat down quickly, being careful not to show any emotions in front of their boss. Lucci didn't so much as glance at Kaku when he walked in.

It didn't take long for the rest of CP9 to enter the room and sit down. Spandam smiled and stood up, opening his mouth to begin speaking when his hand struck his cup of coffee. The contents of the cup spilled all over his legs and he jumped back with a curse.

"OWWW! HOT! HOT! STUPID COFFEE!" After a few seconds, Spandam managed to regain his composure somewhat, but he still glared at the coffee every now and then. Kaku made no outward remarks but he couldn't help but wonder how a man like Spandam had ever became the director of an elite group like CP9.

"Now, where were we?" Spandam muttered.

"Yooou diid not yet staart, directoor. Yoyoi." Kumadori said, patiently as ever. Kaku wondered why Kumadori even gave Spandam as much respect as he did. Everyone showed him respect of course. He _was_ the director, but Kumadori seemed to almost genuinely like him.

"Oh yes! Well I called you all here to make an announcement!" Spandam said. "Tonight Kaku will be going on his first mission as a member of CP9!"

Kaku couldn't help but widen his eyes a little as he stared at Spandam. "Tonight?"

"Yes! You'll be accompinied by Rob Lucci and Jabra." Spandam said, picking up a file. "All the information you need is right here."

Kaku accepted the file and nodded. "Yes sir."

Spandam smiled. "Okay then, that's all I need you for!"

Kaku turned with the others, but noticed that Lucci had paused.

"You said you had something to give me." Lucci stated, staring at Spandam steadily.

"Oh yes! Just give me a moment." Spandam said turning away.

Kaku paused and stared at Lucci in confusion. Lucci nodded towards the door, a silent order to leave. Kaku nodded and left, wishing that he could get some time to talk to Lucci before the mission.

About ten minutes later Kaku heard a knock on his door. he walked towards it, hardening his face in case it was Spandam or another soldier. Kaku was surprised to see Lucci standing there.

"Come to my room." Lucci said before turning away.

Kaku scrambled to follow him, wondering what it could be that Lucci wanted. When they arrived at his room, Kaku saw a fruit lying on the table. It had a strange un-earthly aura to it and had strange swirls on the peel.

"What's that?" Kaku asked.

"A Devil Fruit." Lucci said, suddenly breaking into a grin.

"A Devil Fruit!? Are you going to eat it?" Kaku asked, eyeing the fruit wearily.

"Of course! I've been waiting for one of these ever since Jabra got his." Lucci siad sitting down on the couch. Kaku sat next to him and watched as Lucci lifted the fruit to his lips and took a bite. He frowned slightly and took another and another until the fruit had been completely eaten.

"How do you feel?" Kaku asked, staring at the spot where the Devil Fruit had sat a moment before.

Lucci frowned even more before a hand flew to his mouth and he began to make strangled choking noises.

Kaku stared at him, too shocked to move. "Lucci! Are you okay?!" Could Spandam have poisened it? But why would he want to?

Finally Lucci took his hand away from his mouth and gulped in a few mouthfuls of air. "I'm fine." he said finally.

"I thought you were dieing!" Kaku cried, his hands were shaking uncontrolably, but he tried to hide it from Lucci. "What did it taste like?"

"Like shit." Lucci muttered angrily. He was glaring at his hands as if he wanted them to suddenly tell him what ability he had gotten.

"I guess you'll find out what type it is soon enough." Kaku said. Honestly, he didn't care. All he cared about was how frightened he was that Lucci was going to die.

Suddenly the door burst open and Jabra, Kumadori, Kalifa, Blueno, and Fukuro entered the room.

"We heard Spandam gave you a Devil Fruit." Jabra chuckled. "What kind did you get?"

"I don't know yet." Lucci said, noticably hiding his annoyance.

"Oooh! Rob Lucci's gettin' mad!" Jabra laughed.

Lucci glared at him out of the corner of his eye. The look made Kaku shudder, but Jabra laughed.

"No matter what you get, you won't get as good of an ability as me." Jabra said before his form changed into his man-beast form. He smiled at Lucci, his wolf form making his teeth sharper than usual.

"See? You can't match a wolf!" Jabra laughed.

"Come on Jabra! That's enough!" Kaku snapped. He himself was getting annoyed, he couldn't imagine how angry Jabra's comments were making Lucci.

"What? Now he needs little Hana to come to his rescue?" Jabra howled.

Kaku opened his mouth to respond when he heard a noise that turned his blood to ice. It was a snarl that came from behind him. Kaku saw everyone elses eyes widen, even Jabra's.

Kaku spun around and couldn't help but let a cry of surprise escape his lips.

"Lucci." he gasped.

Lucci was towering over him, a man-beast leopard. His form was huge and bulky, much like Jabra's and he seemed to be made purely of muscle. Strangely, Hattori hadn't been frightened by his masters transformation.

"Well." Lucci said, grinning at Jabra. "It appears my ability is better than yours."

Jabra suddenly glared at Lucci again. "No way! No little cat is better than a wolf!"

Kaku stepped away from the two as the began to growl at each other. Soon they were both in full animal form, circling each other, while Hattori circled overhead.

"Stop it!" Kalifa snapped.

"Yes! Chapapa! You both need to get ready for your mission later!" Fukuro said.

"Yes! Please!" Kaku cried.

Lucci and Jabra stared at them for a moment before turning back into their human forms.

"Yeah, yeah." Jabra said, leaving the room. The others left after him except Kaku. Kaku turned to look at Lucci who looked thoughtful.

"Go on back to your room. You'll need rest for later." Lucci said, turning his back to him.

"Okay." Kaku said, turning towards the door, knowing that Lucci was right, but wishing that he could stay.

**~Thank you for reading! Please R&R! ~FoxEmpress**


	5. Chapter 5: Close Call

**~Chapter 5: Close Call~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku ran along the street alongside Lucci and Jabra. It was a bit of a struggle to keep up with the two more experienced agents, but Kaku was determined to not make a fool of himself.

The orders were simple enough: wipe out the small band of rebels that were currently hiding in St. Poplar. Kaku paused as Lucci slowed down.

"They're close by." he whispered.

Kaku felt himself shiver slightly with anticipation. He couldn't hear anything, but he trusted Lucci's senses almost as much as he did his own. the three of them stood in silence for a few minutes before Kaku heard a faint rustling behind him. He turned to see that Jabra had transformed. Kaku scowled up at him.

"You'll end up giving away our location like that." Kaku snapped.

"Nahh. Besides, killings so much more fun when you can feel your claws tearing your opponents flesh." Jabra said, his voice a low growl.

Kaku sighed and shrugged as Lucci too transformed.

"Just wait 'till you make your first kill like this Lucci!" Jabra said. He threw back his head and let out a howl.

"Shut up, idiot!" Lucci snarled.

Jabra chuckled.

Kaku shuddered slightly realizing just how animalistic Zoan type Devil Fruits made you. He glanced at Lucci uncertainly, afraid to know what he would be like once he began to kill for himself.

Finally Lucci flicked his tail, signaling them to begin their attack. The three of them slipped off onto their designated paths, moving like shadows, slipping past the houses of sleeping civilians. Kaku found himself facing one rebel. He had his back to Kaku, which would normally bother Kaku for he didn't like killing an enemy who couldn't even attempt to fight back, but given the secrecy of their mission, he slid his swords out of their sheaths and dispatched the guard.

It was a swift and clean kill, but it still sent a shiver down Kaku's spine. It was the first time he had killed, and an overwhelming sense of guilt overcame him. He closed his eyes and reminded himself that he was fighting for justice. Somewhat comforted, Kaku noticed that his heart seemed to pounding harder and louder than usual. In fact, every noise seemed to stand out in sharp relief against the dark of the night. He could hear everything from the quietest yawn of a soldier to the faint growls of Lucci as he hunted the rebels.

Kaku resumed his travel around the camp killing soldiers here and there, being careful to not allow them to sound any alarms. After rounding a corner, Kaku let out a small cry of surprise. He had crashed into somebody, evidently not Lucci or Jabra due to the lack of fur. Kaku looked up to see a man standing above him. Kaku raised his sword, attempting to kill the man before he could call for backup. He felt a jolt go up his arm as the man blocked his blow and let out a shout.

"ATTACK! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" the man shouted before Kaku managed to put a shigan through his heart.

Kaku stared at his hand in shock. The feeling of blood, hot and sticky on his finger disturbed him somehow. He tried not to shudder as he looked around desperately. Men were pouring out of the tents, weapons raised, readying to kill anyone they saw. Kaku heard Jabra howl on the other side of the camp. There was no way he could come to help Kaku in a hurry and there was no sign of Lucci or Hattori either.

Kaku turned away from the soldiers. "Soru!" he cried, dashing away from them as quick as he could. He needed to find a way to attack without ending up getting shot or stabbed. The adrenaline he had felt earlier hadn't faded yet, but his thoughts were starting to catch up to him. _How did Lucci do this when he was thirteen?_ Here Kaku was, three years older, but struggling harder than Lucci ever had.

Kaku skidded to a hault as he found himself cornered. _Damn it!_ He looked around for a way out. Finding none he raised his swords and reviewed all of his techniques in his head, struggling to even remember the simplest of them. Finally he settled to just use two sword style, his usual four sword style seeming too complex to his paniced mind. _Panic!_ He narrowed his eyes in rage. He shouldn't be panicing! He was CP9! He lashed out, his swords merely flashes of silver as he began to kill the men in front of him.

The battle was begining to go in his favour when he heard a noise and saw two rebels wheeling a cannon towards him. An image flashed through Kaku's mind, an image of the huge scar on Rob Lucci's back, the one he recieved when he was thirteen. The horror of the thought that the cannon might marr his own back was overwhelming. Kaku struggled to swallow a wave of panic that threatened to wash over him. He instead focused on forcing every muscle in his body to stiffen. He breathed in deeply.

"Tekkai!" he cried as the first of the cannonballs flew towards him. The impact of their strike felt like a ship had struck him. He found himself caught off guard. He turned his huge black eyes towards the sight of the rebels loading the cannons again. Kaku did his best to remain focused as the rebels shouted.

"FIRE!" More cannon balls flew at his body.

"KAKU!" Jabra called from somewhere, much too far away for him to assist Kaku.

The cannons readied to fire again, Kaku panted heavily, his body felt like it was burning.

"He's got to fall sometime! Keep trying!" the rebels shouted.

The cannon balls crashed into him again and with the last one, Kaku could feel his tekkai shatter. He fell to his knees and watched as the cannons pointed at him again. It would be the final time. Kaku squeezed his eyes shut.

_Please..._

The clanging of cannon balls being loaded.

_...anyone..._

"Fire!"

_...help me!_

The pain that Kaku expected to follow never did come. Cautiously, Kaku opened his eyes to see a huge form curled around him. He could see yellow and black fur above him.

_Lucci!_

Kaku stared in astonishment as Lucci released his tekkai and turned to the rebels, an image of terror and death. His arms were stained with blood as he lashed out at the soldiers, sending their lifeless bodies flying. Kaku stared in astonishment as he slowly recovered from the shock of the last few minutes. Finally he recovered enough to lift his swords and assist Lucci, even though he felt more like he was getting in the way of the leopards bloody masacre.

Pain crashed through his body and blackness exploded in front of his eyes as he struggled to stay standing. It was a fight he did not win. As he fell to the ground the only thought he had was that he hoped that Lucci wouldn't kill him for his mess up.

**~Thank you all for reading! I hope that I will be able to update often! ~FoxEmpress**


	6. Chapter 6: True Fear

**~Chapter 6: True Fear~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku raised his acheing head groggily. He looked up and saw Jabra walkig in front of him. But he could see Jabra's face... not the back of his head.

"Huh? What?" he asked, his speech slightly slurred.

Jabra's face looked oddly serious as he gazed at him. "You got hit on the back of the head with a rifle." Jabra explained.

Kaku looked down in confusion and saw a huge shoulder underneath him. He blushed slightly when he realized that Lucci was carrying him over his shoulder.

"You know I can walk now." Kaku said, somewhat meekly, remebering that it had been his fault that they had been discovered.

Lucci only response was a growl that made Kaku's whole body vibrate. Kaku took a deep breath and returned his attention to Jabra.

Jabra gave him a sad smile and lifted one finger and slid it slowly across his throat. Kaku swallowed harshly and suddenly knew why Jabra was so serious. Lucci was known to hate weakness... and failure was weakness. Kaku stared at the ground for the rest of the trip, trying to face his situation with as much bravery as he could muster.

When they finally returned to Enies Lobby, nobody stopped or questioned them. Lucci turned to look at Jabra, his face a mask of stone.

"Jabra, go report to the Director, don't leave out a detail." With that he turned away and carried Kaku to his room.

Kaku caught sight of Jabra looking after him and Fukura standing not far away before Lucci closed the door behind them.

Lucci set Kaku down on the couch and Kaku glanced around nervously. It was hard to imagine that only earlier that night, Kaku had sat in this very same room and watched Lucci eat his Devil Fruit. Then it had seemed like such an honor to be here, but now, Kaku could hardly breathe. He knew what was coming and he couldn't help but feel fear deep inside of him. It was unlike anything he had felt before. He had always been pretty confident, but now that he knew that he was about to die, he didn't want to face it. When he finally did look up at Lucci, he had transformed from a leopard man to his usual human form.

"Lucci, I-" Kaku began.

"Don't speak." Lucci ordered.

Kaku immediately closed his mouth and waited.

"You do realize that you could have ruined our mission?" Lucci snapped.

"So, you did defeat them right?" Kaku whispered, not daring to speak too loudly.

"Of course," Lucci snorted. He turned to glare at Kaku with a look that he never wanted to see again.

"If we had of failed, it would have been the first failure on my part." Lucci said, walking slowly in a circle around the couch. Kaku gulped, but didn't make a noise.

"Do you know how many CP9 hopefuls made it this far, just to be decided to be useless by me?" Lucci continued, his face dangerously close to Kaku's ear. Kaku felt a shudder run through his body.

"I'll try to improve. I really an sorry..." Kaku whimpered.

"That isn't what you should be appologizing for!" Lucci snarled, suddenly in front of him. His eyes were burning with a rage that Kaku had never seen from him before. Kaku swallowed again.

"You could have died! You need to work on your tekkai! What would I... _we_ have done if you had of died?" Lucci snapped.

Kaku started with surprise and opened his mouth to answer him, but was cut off with something that surprised him more than anything else that evening.

Lucci's mouth met Kaku's harshly, painfully. Kaku had to resist the urge to leap backwards, for fear that Lucci would gat angry. Kaku could feel Lucci's teeth and tounge meet his lips roughly and felt a sense of vulnerability as he sat there, waiting for it to end, but at the same time not wanting it to. Kaku could hear Hattori cooing in surprise.

Finally Lucci ended the kiss and turned his back to Kaku. Kaku thanked him silently, thankful that Lucci couldn't see the blush that was spreading across his face.

"Go. And don't forget to practice." Lucci said.

Kaku got up in a hurry and stopped by the door. "T-Thank you."

He sped out the door, realizing that Lucci had probably thought that he was thanking him for the kiss. Really, Kaku wasn't quite sure if that wasn't what he was thanking him for.

**~Lucci's POV~**

Lucci lay in bed, glaring at the shadows uncertainly. What had he done? Yes he had been worried about Kaku, and yes he had felt some feelings inside of him that he didn't recognize fully, but why had he_ kissed _him?

He flipped over so that he lay on his back, the taste of Kaku still on his lips. He ran a hand through his hair and thought about Kaku's last words. _Thank you._ For what? Sparing his life? The kiss? Lucci felt his cheeks burn as he felt a little jolt when he thought of the latter. No, it must have been for his life. Right now Kaku was probably disgusted at what Lucci had done to him. So why had he done it?

He couldn't even answer his own question, and it was eating at him. He turned to Hattori.

"Why?" he asked.

Hattori cooed and curled up next to Lucci. Lucci sighed. He was beginning to understand the way animals talked after he ate his Devil Fruit, but the meaning of Hattori's words evaded him. He hated it.

He sighed and closed his eyes. A tiny thought had been growing in the back of his mind, one that he barely dared to think. Maybe Kaku did like it. A small smile spread across his face as he fell asleep.

**~Yay! Lucci finally kissed Kaku! I'm really interested to see where this will go because honestly, I don't even know! ~FoxEmpress**


	7. Chapter 7: Avoidance

**~Chapter 7: Avoidance~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku walked away from Lucci's room silently. He was still shaking, and in disbelief over what had happened. Lucci had kissed him! He almost banged into Jabra because he wasn't looking where he was looking. He looked up into Jabra's shocked face and frowned.

"What?" he demanded.

"You're not dead!?" Jabra gasped.

"No..." Kaku shuffled his feet in discomfort.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing... he um... just decided not to kill me."

"That don't sound like Lucci to me." Jabra said doubtfully.

"Well it's true!" Kaku snapped. He could feel himself turning red and silently cursed how often he blushed. But what was he supposed to say? It wasn't exactly a lie, but he wasn't about to tell anyone, least of all Jabra, about the kiss.

"Well, we better hunt down Fukuro!"

"Why?"

"He's telling everyone that you're dead!"

Now it was circulating that Kaku had somehow miraculously survived an attack from Rob Lucci. Kaku made sure that the rumours ended immediately. He knew that if Lucci ever heard them, he would definately kill him.

What bothered Kaku the most was the fact that Lucci was avoiding him. They had usually seen each other several times a day, usually talking on at least one of those meetings. Kaku could see a strange look in his eyes whenever he did see him though. Was it fear? No, Lucci didn't feel fear. Maybe it was uncertanty? A long shot, but more likely than fear.

Kaku struggled to accept the fact that Lucci would never want to talk to him again. He had always hoped to one day become friends with Lucci (if that was even possible), or maybe even more than friends... No! He couldn't think like that. He and Lucci were partners in CP9 it had nothing to do with anything personal or intimate.

Kaku trudged down the hall before he was stopped by Kumadori.

"Yoyoi! Something is wrong! What is it?" he asked.

Kaku tried to stand up straighter and look more confident. He pulled his hat down lower over his face and stuck his nose slightly in the air as he always did when he tried to feel and look serious and under control. Finally he sighed and gave in. He had always liked Kumadori, and it was always so easy to talk to him.

"It's just that... Lucci has been avoiding me. Do you know if he is angered at me for some reason?" Kaku asked.

"Oooh! Trouble in paradise, huh?" Jabra asked, as he rounded the corner.

"W-What?!" Kaku cried, feeling his cheeks burn hotter.

"GYAHAHAHAHA!" Jabra howled with laughter. "I knew it! You _like_ him!"

"I-I... N-no..." Kaku stuttered.

"GYAHAHAHAHA!" Jabra cried falling onto the ground and clutching his stomach.

"YOYOI!" Kumadori snapped, slamming his staff down on the ground. "Jabraaa! How unpoliteee!"

"What? It's true! Just look at his face!" Jabra laughed.

Kaku spun around and stormed off towards his room. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest and closed his eyes, trying to regulate the beating of his heart. Now Jabra knew something that Kaku hadn't even wanted to admit to himself. What would happen now? Would Jabra tell Lucci? And if he did, how would Lucci react? Would Lucci return his feelings, even slightly? He _had_ kissed him.

Kaku sighed and continued to walk, hoping that he could get away from Jabra before Kumadori stopped scolding him for his rudeness. he barely noticed where he was walking as the hallway blurred in front of him. In horror, Kaku realised that he had tears in his eyes. He wiped them away in frustration before breaking into a run.

**~Lucci's POV~**

Lucci walked down the hallway quietly, satisfied at being able to avoid Kaku all day. He couldn't face him again... not yet.

Lucci stopped when he heard Kaku's voice. He froze. He couldn't hear what he was saying, but he could hear Jabra's laughter. Lucci sighed and rolled his eyes, but didn't move to help Kaku. He would have to fight his own battle this time. Finally he heard Kaku's footsteps walking away. Lucci sighed and continued down the hall until he saw Jabra and Kumadori.

Jabra was litterally rolling across the floor laughing, but Kumadori didn't look amused. When Lucci approached, Jabra looked at him and began to laugh even louder. A cold chill went down his spine. Had Kaku told him about the kiss?

"L-Lucci! Get a load of this!" Jabra gasped out between his laughter.

"Yoyoi! Enough already!" Kumadori snapped.

Lucci relaxed, satisfied that whatever Jabra was laughing at, it was at Kumadori's expense, not his own. Lucci shook his head and walked away, ignoring Jabra's shouts for him to come back.

Lucci rounded the corner and stopped. He had caught a glance of Kaku. Kaku's eyes. He had been wiping away tears.

Rage exploded inside of Lucci, burning him like hot coals. He spun around and strode back towards Jabra. Whatever the wolf-man had said, it had been about Kaku and it had been bad enough to make him cry. Lucci would not forgive him.

Lucci hunted Jabra all over the tower of law, but he couldn't find him anywhere. Enraged he finally went back to his room, his rage blinding him. He slammed the door to his room and sat down on the couch, grabbing a bottle of booze. He poured out as much as he could fit into two glasses and shoved one towards Hattori. Lucci flung back his head, swallowing the glass of liquor in one gulp. It would not be his last glass that night.

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku finally arrived at his room and turned the knob. Or at least, he _tried _to. He frowned as he met resistance. Why was his door locked? He hadn't locked it before he left earlier.

Angrily he knocked on the door, wondering if a servent had locked themself inside to avoid work. Too late Kaku looked around more carefully to see that this wasn't his room. It was Lucci's room. Why had his legs carried him here?

Kaku tried to turn around when the door opened and Lucci appeared.

"L-Lucci I..." Kaku began, but he didn't get a chance to finish because then Lucci reached out and grabbed Kaku's in an iron grip.

"Come in." he said bluntly, dragging Kaku inside.

**~Thank you for reading! Please R&R! I love hearing your opinion! ~FoxEmpress**


	8. Chapter 8: Another Promise

**~Chapter 8: Another Promise~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku sat down when prompted by Lucci. He didn't want to anger him, especially when Kaku wasn't feeling very emotionally stable. Finally he relaxed slightly when Lucci showed no sign of getting angry or even slightly upset.

Lucci stepped forwards and put a glass on the table in front of him.

"Drink." Lucci demanded.

Kaku didn't dare disobey, but lifted the glass to his lips and gulped down its contents. Kaku let out a cry and began to cough. The drink burned his throat and he realized that it was alcohol. It was obviously something that was meant to be mixed with another drink, not shot back straight.

Lucci chuckled. "What? Your first taste of alcohol?" he asked.

Kaku could do little more than cough and nod as an answer.

Lucci laughed again and Kaku shivered. Was he drunk? His speech had seemed less clear than usual and his laughter didn't seem as cold or harsh. Kaku glanced at Hattori who too had a glass. Kaku sighed, wondering why a pigeon could drink the alcohol, but he couldn't. Kaku turned his attention back to Lucci and finally mustered the courage to speak.

"You've been avoiding me." Kaku stated.

"That I have." Lucci said, drinking another glass.

Kaku remained composed even though he was surprised that he had gotten an answer out of Lucci that easily.

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Kaku sighed. That was more like Lucci, though he thought that if Lucci had of been sober, he would have glared at Kaku.

Finally Kaku couldn't take the sight of Lucci drinking anymore and he got to his feet.

"Um... Goodnight." he said walking towards the door.

Lucci hardly glanced at him, instead he reached for another bottle.

As Kaku walked out into the hallway, he wondered how many nights Lucci sat in his room with only Hattori for company and drank until he forgot the events of the day. Kaku had no idea. His room was on a seperate floor, so he rarely saw Lucci late at night.

A crash made Kaku pause, followed by a few frantic coos from Hattori. Kaku turned around wearily and put his hand on the door to Lucci's room. The sound of another crash made Kaku interested enough to step inside. The sight inside, caught Kaku off guard.

Lucci's usually impecible room had turned into a war zone. The couch and the coffee table had been carelessly flung to the side, and Hattori was circling overhead, his flight unsteady. He was evidently drunk, so Kaku held out his hands and grabbed him, trying to comfort the stressed pigeon.

"Coo... cooo." Hattori finally calmed down and settled onto a bookcase close by.

Kaku barely had time to move out of the way as an identical bookcase flew towards him.

"Woah!" Kaku gasped.

"Kaku?" Lucci asked, stepping forwards. He had removed his shirt, and his sides were heaving as if he had just been in a fight. It was evident that he, like Hattori, was drunk. His eyes were blood-shot and he was shaking slightly, his hands unsteady. "Is something wrong? What happened?" Kaku asked. He cast his gaze around the room and let it fall on the group of four empty bottles on the floor, two of which were shattered. "How much did you have to drink?"

Lucci shrugged. "Does it matter?" he demanded, his voice harsh and slurred.

"Yes it does matter! Why are you wrecking your room?"

"I already said it doesn't matter!"

"But why?"

Lucci turned away from him, shoving his hands roughly into his black wavy hair, tearing at it in frustration.

"Why? Why what? Why do you even need to ask? You _know_ why!"

Kaku blinked in surprise. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Lucci cast his arms out, waving them at the furniture. "What do you see here?"

"A room..." Kaku said, fear rising inside of him. Was Lucci going crazy?

"No! NO!" Lucci snarled, throwing a chair at the wall, causing it to burst into splinters. Kaku whinced as wood slashed his cheeks.

"Lucci, please..."

Lucci turned back to face him, and Kaku saw that his arms had also gotten some damage from the chair. Hie eyes were glazed over with a look of rage that would make a lion run away with its tail between its legs.

"No, Kaku. This is not a room! Get that into your head now!" he turned away again and yanked on his hair in distress again. "It's a cell! A proson cell! A false sense of home! Why can't you see?"

Kaku blinked in recognition. Relief washed over him as he realized that Lucci was indeed as sane as he had been weeks ago (if you could call Rob Lucci sane). "I understand what you're trying to say, but..."

Lucci wasn't listening, he was walking around the room, glaring at the walls and furniture that surrounded him.

"Coo coooo." Hattori muttered.

Kaku shivered slightly. Lucci's eyes had rested on the swords that hung on the wall. If he decided to send them flying across the room...

"So you can see? Good... good." Lucci sighed and sunk to the floor, his back to the wall and his head in his hands. "After all... you're the one who showed me."

Kaku frowned and hesitantly stepped towards Lucci. He sat down next to him, and held out his arms. Lucci grabbed Kaku and buried his face in his shirt. An image of himself clinging to Lucci in a similar manner when they were children came into Kaku's head. The thought that Lucci was in a way no more than a child in need of comfort caused Kaku to force himself to be calm, even though his eyes were stinging, threatening him with tears.

"Lucci, it's going to be okay." Kaku whispered, risking stroking Lucci's now tangled hair.

"No..." Lucci mumbled, his voice muffled by Kaku's shirt. "It won't be okay... Not until all of this ends."

"All of what?" Kaku asked.

"CP9."

"I thought you liked being in CP9." Kaku frowned.

"Yes, but only for the killing..."

Kaku stifled a shudder, instead busying his fingers with Lucci's complex tangles.

"That's all we are... The Governments weapons."

"That's not-"

"Don't!" Lucci snapped. "Don't give me that crap! You know it's true!"

Kaku sighed because he knew that Lucci was right.

"That's what they call us. The Governments most valuable weapons, expendable, replaceable..."

"I know..." Kaku sighed.

"Will you let them do it to you?" Lucci asked.

"Do what?"

"Let them turn you into me..."

"What do you mean?"

"Heartless. A killer... a murderer."

"I'm an assassin! I've already killed."

"Not that part. The heartless part." Lucci looked up into Kaku's eyes and Kaku had to stifle a cry of terror. For in Lucci's eyes were tears.

"Lucci..."

"It's too late for me. I could never enjoy life the way you do... never... not unless I kill."

"But Lucci..."

"Promise me!" A tear slid down Lucci's cheek, but he didn't seem to notice. "Promise me that you won't change!"

Another promise, on another tearful night. This one the result of hopelessness, the former from fear and pain. A promise of men compared to children, but both were just as important. Lucci had kept his promise, now it was Kaku's turn.

"I promise, Lucci. I won't change." Kaku said gently, finally fixing the last of the knots in Lucci's hair.

Lucci seemed to relax then, and for a moment, Kaku thought he would go to asleep there, on the floor, clinging to Kaku like a child. Then Lucci lifted a hand to his eye and wiped away a tear, staring at it in surprise. He looked up at Kaku and seemed to see the scratches for the first time.

"Kaku... how...?" Lucci began.

"It doesn't matter." Kaku said. He slowly coaxed Lucci onto his unsteady feet and walked him to his bed.

"Goodnight." Kaku whispered, preparing to leave. He stopped when he felt a hand grip his feebly.

"Stay..." Lucci pleaded. Kaku could feel his heart breaking, looking at Rob Lucci, the man who he had always viewed as indestructable, lying there, barely able to keep his eyes open. Kaku swallowed hard and nodded.

He slowly lowered himself onto the bed and tucked himself and Lucci in. Kaku turned away from Lucci, trying to avert his eyes from the others shirtless body. He let out a muffled grunt as Lucci threw his arm across Kaku possessively.

"Goodnight." he whispered. Lucci pressed his lips against Kaku's. This time, Lucci tasted and smelled of alcohol, but Kaku didn't care. All he wanted to do was comfort the other man. Finally Lucci pulled away and settled down behind Kaku. The shaking Kaku had noticed earlier had stopped.

Across the room, Hattori cooed at Kaku, and somehow it sounded like a thank you.

"Goodnight." Kaku whispered to the dark room, before slipping into a content slumber.

**~Another chapter done! Poor Lucci... Please R&R! Thank you! ~FoxEmpress**


	9. Chapter 9: Aftermath

**~Chapter 9: Aftermath~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku woke with the scents of stale alcohol and blood heavy in the air. With a groan, Kaku attempted to push himself into a sitting position. /he found the task impossible due to the presence of Lucci's arm holding him down. Kaku stifled a cry of pain when he moved his arm. He looked down to see Lucci's nails digging into his skin, blood seeping from five cuts. Kaku sighed and finally leaned back to try to relax until Lucci decided to let him get up again.

Kaku looked up at the sound of a knock on the door. It opened slowly and Kaku tried to hide as a servent walked in. She looked around at the mess of the room, and then looked towards the bed. Upon seeing Kaku lying next to Lucci, the servent blushed and hurried from the room, whispering sorry as she left. Kaku sighed and looked around the room. He was just thankful that it had been a servent who had seen them lying here like this and not Jabra or Fukuro. Then all of Enies Lobby would assume that he and Lucci had a romantic relationship.

Kaku frowned. What kind of relationship did Lucci have with him? It wasn't strictly professional, but defiantely not romantic. Were they friends? Was it possible to be friends with Lucci? Kaku remembered Lucci's tormented rage the night before, and thought about what he had asked Kaku. _Don't change..._ Would Lucci remember the conversation?

Lucci stirred next to him, tightening his grip, causing more blood to flow from Kaku's wounds. This time Kaku couldn't help but cry out in surprise. Lucci blinked his eyes open slowly and turned them towards Kaku.

"Kaku?" he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

"...Yes." Kaku answered softly, afraid of how Lucci would react to waking up with Kaku by his side.

Lucci sat up slowly and took his arm away from Kaku, tearing more of Kaku's skin as he did so. Lucci looked down at his fingers, covered in Kaku's blood. Slowly he raised his hand to his mouth, and to Kaku's horror, licked away the blood. Kaku tried not to look at him as he sat there, still shirtless, his hair slightly tousled form sleep. Lucci sighed heavily and looked at Kaku.

"I should be getting up now." he said, getting to his feet.

"A-Are you sure you're okay? You were pretty drunk last night." Kaku said nervously.

Lucci looked Kaku in the eye, causing the latter to shiver. "I'm fine. I've been worse."

Kaku frowned trying to picture Lucci in tears with no one to comfort him but Hattori. How long had it been going on? Since he was thirteen? "Okay." Kaku said, standing up. He yelped when his bare feet hit the cold floor. Lucci chuckled. Blushing, Kaku turned away and headed towards the door.

"Kaku..." Lucci called after him.

"Yes?" Kaku asked.

"Come back here this evening."

"O-Okay." Kaku said, turning and rushing out the door. What could Lucci want from him this time? He shivered again and rushed down the hallway, glaring at anyone who stared at him due to his messy hair and lack of proper clothes.

**~Lucci's POV~**

Lucci groaned and stretched, trying to ignore his splitting headache. He knew that he shouldn't have drank as much as he did last night, but he had been too overwhelmed by everything to think clearly enough to stop himself, alcohol or no alcohol.

He turned towards Hattori who was sitting on an overturned table. "I really made a fool of myself this time."

"Coo coo." Hattori replied.

Lucci sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. He was in one way relieved that the events of last night had occured. It is always so much harder to tell someone something when you're sober. At least if you said something stupid, you could blame it on being drunk, but when you were sober, your mind was much too clear, thinking much too simple. Yes, being drunk was easier.

But Lucci couldn't help but feel foolish about what he had done the night before. Yes, he had needed to tell someone what had been torturing him. Yes, he knew that Kaku would never tell a soul about what he had said, but that didn't help matters at all. Lucci had shown Kaku his innermost thoughts, ones that he himself kept under lock and key, trying to drown the thoughts out. Before, the only comfort he could find was in his belief that everything he did was for Dark Justice. That he could live with.

But every time he looked at Kaku he couldn't help but feel that he in fact wasn't alive. All he was was an empty shell of the person he had been. His last living breaths had been when he was a child. But not Kaku. Kaku was as alive as a child. He had the potential to preserve this fact. A chance and power that Lucci had never had. Powerless over his own fate...

Lucci shook his head and began to change out of his clothes, studying the remnants of Kaku's blood on his fingers. He was Rob Lucci. He was a heartless killing machine. He was a weapon. He belonged to the government.

Lucci burried the fear and regret that he had been feeling the night before. He couldn't afford to think or feel that way. He had to be Rob Lucci for justice. _Yes._ Lucci thought with a wry smile. _For Dark Justice._

**_~Two Years Later...~_**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku had begun to feel a bit better about himself over the past years. He may not have been able to truly heal Lucci... only time could do that if it could be done at all... He had been able to fend off his demons whenever he was near him. This just gave Kaku another excuse to spend time with Lucci. Lucci seemed to appreciate the extra time too. He seemed to soften slightly whenever they were alone.

One day, Kaku woke to a knock on his door.

"Come in." he called sleepily.

Lucci stepped inside and suddenly Kaku was self concionse of his half asleep state. This of course was ridiculous after all the nights Kaku spent, just lying in Lucci's bed, trying to confort the older man. Lucci didn't seem to notice Kaku's embarassment, and if he did he ignored it.

"The director requests you for a meeting." Lucci said.

"Just me?" Kaku asked, puzzled.

"No. Kalifa, Blueno, and I will be there as well."

Kaku sighed and glanced at the clock. It read three A.M. He sighed and got out of bed. "Tell him I'll be with him in a moment."

Lucci nodded and left the room. Kaku got dressed as quickly as he could, trying to smother his annoyance. He had just gotten to sleep. What could be so important that it couldn't wait for the morning? He looked at the window and couldn't help but laugh a little. By the way it looked outside, you would never guess that it was the middle of the night. The island without night... with eternal light. Strange that it was the home to the governments most elite group of assassins.

Finally he turned and walked out the door, still wondering what had given Spandam the idea to hold a meeting this late. Maybe he wasn't as much of a coward as Kaku though. After all, anyone who had the bravery to wake Rob Lucci this late at night _must _be brave. Then again, he probably sent a servant to do it. Kaku mused about how that could have possibly ended. With Lucci, it was probably messy.

**~Note: Current ages: Kaku: 18 Lucci: 23 Kalifa: 20 Blueno: 25 Jabra: 30 Kumadori: 29 Fukuro: 24 thank you for reading!~FoxEmpress**


	10. Chapter 10: A New Beginning?

**~Chapter 10: A New Beginning?~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku walked into Spandam's office and sat between Lucci and Kalifa, praying that she wouldn't accuse him of sexual harassment. Luckily, she didn't mention anything about it. Kaku relaxed slightly, then looked up to see that Spandam had a huge smile on his face.

"Sorry to wake you up so late." Spandam began.

"That's sexual harassment." Kalifa stated plainly.

Spandam bit his lip, but ignored the comment. "The four of you are to travel to Water Seven. The blueprints to Pluton are supposed to be in the mayor, Iceberg's, possession. You will all get jobs and get close to the mayor. Make him trust you. There are four job positions available; two shipwrights, one secretary, and one bar keeper. It's up to you guys... um and girl..."

"Sexual harassment."

"...what jobs you choose. You have five days to prepare yourselves." Spandam finished.

Kaku and the others rose to leave. Kaku couldn't help but feel excited. They would get to be away from Enies Lobby! Even a small break would be worth whatever mission.

"I have a question, director." Lucci said.

"Yes?"

"How long do we have for this mission?"

"The maximum is five years." Spandam said.

"Yes, sir." Lucci said before turning and leaving without another word.

For the next five days, Kaku didn't see Lucci at all. He had himself locked up in his room, and got all of his meals brought to his room. Kaku was a bit worried, but when the time came for them to get on the sea train, Lucci looked fine.

"Are you ready to go?" Kaku asked.

"Yes." Lucci said, before sitting next to him on the sea train.

The rest of the trip to Water Seven was silent, other than the agreement about what jobs they would each take. Everyone agreed that Kalifa would make a good secretary, Blueno would be the best bar tender and Kaku and Lucci would get jobs as shipwrights. This excited Kaku. He had always dreamed of building ships, and now he could get his chance while still upholding justice.

When they finally got to Water Seven, they went their separate ways except Kaku and Lucci. Kaku wondered why Lucci was being so quiet. It was strange, even for him. Kaku shrugged and stepped forwards, a sudden wave of anxiety washing over him. It seemed like everyone in town was signing up for the job. Kaku shook his head. _I'm in CP9! My physical abilities are superior to everyone else here... except Lucci._

He stepped forward when it was his turn and stopped in front of a man. He was smoking a cigar, and his blonde hair was pushed back by goggles that rested on his forehead. He sighed, obviously annoyed with all the people who had failed to fill his job positions. _I won't disappoint._ He thought.

"I'm Paulie. Before we begin the physical evaluation, I'm gonna ask you some questions." Paulie sighed.

Kaku was prepared for this. He had studied about the art of building ships for the past five days, non-stop. He was confident that he could pass the test.

"First off, what's your name?" Paulie asked. Kaku thought he saw him glance at his square nose. Kaku resisted the urge to give him a superior tone, but instead smiled as widely as he could.

"My name is Kaku." he said pleasantly.

"Okay then, let's see if you can answer my questions."

Paulie proceeded to quiz him on all the different parts of a ship and what could be effected if one broke. Finally, satisfied, he motioned for Kaku to pick up some tools and display his abilities.

Kaku eyed the tools before picking up some chisels. They reminded him of his swords back at Enies Lobby. When Kaku showed off his physical abilities, he noticed that Paulie looked pleased while Lucci remained serious.

"Well, you're better than anyone else here. You got the job kid." Paulie said, before turning to Lucci.

Kaku smiled. "Thank you." He then walked to stand next to Lucci.

Paulie looked at Lucci. "Name?"

To Kaku's surprise, it wasn't Lucci's voice who answered.

"Coo coo!" Hattori cooed. "My name is Rob Lu- I mean Hattori. This is Rob Lucci, I am his pet pigeon."

Kaku blinked and had to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from bursting into laughter. Why was Lucci using Hattori as a ventriloquist dummy? And why was he using that ridiculous high pitched voice?

Paulie didn't have as much control. He burst into laughter, but tried to cover it up by coughing harshly into his sleeve to hide his smile. "S-Sorry about that. Horrible cough."

Strangely, Lucci's expression didn't change throughout the whole exchange, not even when he did the physical assessment.

"Well, you're hired too." Paulie said with a shake of his head. Kaku could practically hear what he was thinking. _Awfully weird people applying today._

Before he could walk away, Paulie grabbed Kaku's arm. Kaku looked at the huge grin on the other mans face.

"Do you know him?" he asked.

"Yes, we've been friends since childhood." Kaku said. Friends? Where had that come from?

"Did he always... um... not talk?" Paulie asked, obviously trying not to laugh again.

"Oh, that..." What was he supposed to say? Lucci hadn't even warned him about his little plan of playing mute. "Well, there was this... _incident, _we don't talk about it_. _Especially not in front of him. He hasn't spoken since." Kaku tried to keep a serious, but sympathetic tone to his voice as he fought off a wave of laughter.

"Oh, okay then." Paulie said. "See ya' tomorrow."

"Yes, good bye."

"What was all that about, coo coo?" Hattori, no, Lucci asked.

"Paulie wanted to know about your, um... speech issue." Kaku said awkwardly.

"Oh... that..." Lucci trailed off as if something tragic had happened. Kaku breathed a sigh of relief internally. So, he had gotten the story right.

They continued on in silence until they reached the door to Kaku's rented house.

"You know, you could have warned me about that." Kaku said.

"I know." Lucci said, through Hattori.

"I might have a hard time forgiving you." Kaku said, fake anger in his voice.

"I think you will." Lucci said, calmly.

"Oh? And why is that?" Kaku demanded, somewhat annoyed now.

Lucci leaned forwards and pressed his lips to Kaku's. All Kaku could think was that he was grateful that he had done that part and not Hattori.

"That's why." Lucci whispered, using his real voice, his lips still close enough to brush across Kaku's.

As Lucci turned and walked away into the night, Kaku smiled to himself. Maybe coming to Water Seven would be even better than he had thought.

**~So, now CP9's in Water Seven. Interesting! Please R&R! Thank you!~FoxEmpress**


	11. Chapter 11: Water 7

**~Sorry for the delay in the updating, but I have been pretty busy lately (namely with school and watching the recent english dubs of the Water 7 arc!) I hope you enjoy! ~FoxEmpress**

**~Chapter 11: Water 7~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

Kaku woke early the next morning feeling an almost uncontrollable excitement rising in him. As he got dressed, he glanced out the window and saw Lucci leaning against a building across the street. Kaku felt his heart skip a beat as he rushed out his door to greet Lucci.

"Good morning." Kaku said. "You're here early."

"Coo coo! I was waiting for you for an hour." Lucci answered.

"Oh." Kaku felt himself blushing. "Sorry about that."

Lucci simply shrugged and began to walk towards the shipyard. "It's our first day. Are you nervous?"

"No, not really." Kaku replied, not mentioning how happy he was to be able to build ships.

When they finally reached the shipyard, Kaku noticed that there was a crowd. "What's this all about?" Kaku asked a man who stood close by.

"Pirates." the man grunted. "They're giving the shipwright's trouble."

Kaku turned his attention back to the shipyard and frowned. "Great."

Lucci was already making his way through the crowd towards the gates of the yard. Kaku pushed through to stand beside him, staring at the scene in front of him in wonder. He had expected the shipwright's to be doing whatever the pirates demanded, but to his surprise they were fighting.

"Wow." Kaku breathed.

Lucci launched himself over the gate. Kaku knew that Lucci wouldn't miss out on a chance to fight. With a small smile, Kaku followed him over the fence. By the time the pirates were all defeated, Kaku could hear whispers from the crowd. All of the voices were in awe.

"Are those two shipwright's new?"

"Which ones? The one with the square nose and the one with the pigeon?"

"Yeah, they're new, but did you see the way they fought?"

"They were incredible."

Paulie walked over to Kaku and Lucci. "Sorry for not telling you about the issue with pirates around here."

"Coo coo. It's fine. We know how to fight." Lucci said.

"I could see that. You were both great." Paulie smiled and put a hand on Kaku's shoulder. "You were good too kid, even though you're pretty young."

"Thank you, Paulie." Kaku said. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks. He was used to his superiors telling him that he did a good job on a mission, or telling him that he was strong, but there was something about hearing someone who wasn't with the government giving him a compliment that made him happier. He glanced towards Lucci and was surprised to see that his usual stoic face had changed into a bit of a scowl.

Kaku pulled away from Paulie, smiling slightly, trying to ignore the daggers that Lucci was now glaring at Paulie. "Well, I suppose we should get to work."

"Coo coo. Yes, let's go." Lucci said, his voice the usual high pitch as Hattori mouthed the words.

After a long day of building, Kaku actually felt a little sore. He wasn't used to using his muscles non-stop like that, but he enjoyed the feeling whenever he looked at the ship that they were building.

"Hey! Kaku! Lucci! Do you want to go to the bar with me?" Paulie called.

"That sounds good. Are you coming Lucci?" Kaku asked.

"Yes, I'll come." Lucci said, walking towards Kaku, making sure that on the way to the bar he walked between Paulie and Kaku.

Kaku couldn't help but sigh when he looked at the mug of beer that Blueno handed to him across the bar. He didn't really enjoy drinking. From his experience, alcohol didn't taste all that good. He had never understood how Jabra could get drunk every weekend. Why would he do it when it would only make him feel sick in the morning?

He was relieved that when he took a sip of the beer, it didn't burn as badly as the alcohol Lucci had given him had burned. Even so, Kaku couldn't down the drink the way Paulie or even Lucci could. Instead he had a few drinks and watched as Paulie got drunk. He was relieved that Lucci didn't get drunk. If he did, he might have forgotten that he was supposed to talk through Hattori.

"So... Where are you from Kaku?" Paulie asked.

Kaku blinked. He hadn't been expecting this question. Luckily he was used to lying. "I grew up in an orphanage in St. Poplar. I don't know where my parents are from."

"So you're from St. Poplar too than, Lucci?"

"Yes, and the same orphanage." Lucci answered.

Kaku was relieved that Lucci didn't seem to be so angry at Paulie now that they were all relaxing. That made Kaku think. Had Lucci been _jealous_? Kaku struggled not to blush as he sat there between the two men. Why had he even thought that Lucci _could_ feel jealous? It wasn't like they were boyfriends.

When the night grew late, Kaku and Lucci got up and said their good byes to Paulie. They walked towards Kaku's house silently for a while.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Kaku asked.

Lucci simply cast Kaku a look, before saying softly in his real voice. "This is a mission, Kaku. As soon as we get the blueprints we're leaving, understand?"

Kaku blinked. "I know." He had forgotten, but he would never tell Lucci that.

"You're good at this whole friendly shipwright act. I don't think I could manage it." Lucci said.

Kaku smiled, since he knew that this was Rob Lucci's way of giving him a compliment. "Thank you."

"Just don't get too used to it." Lucci said.

Kaku nodded, trying to hide his look of disappointment.

To his surprise, Lucci pinned him to the wall of his house. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." Lucci whispered in Kaku's ear, his breath sending shivers down Kaku's spine. Kaku started the kiss this time, though he hadn't intended for Lucci to bite his lip softly. He couldn't help but shiver as Lucci growled softly.

"Good night, Kaku." Lucci purred, pulling away and walking off down the street.

Kaku smiled after him and stepped into his house. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

**~I hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R! Thank you! ~FoxEmpress**


	12. Chapter 12: Truth or Dare

**~Chapter 12: Truth or Dare~**

**~Lucci's POV~**

_How do I always end up doing these stupid things?_ That was the only thought Lucci had in his head as he sat in Blueno's Bar with Kaku, Paulie, Lulu, Tilestone, Kalifa, and Iceberg. Ever since he had gotten to Water 7 he had found himself unable to leave Kaku alone. Especially not if he was going somewhere with Paulie.

Now they were just sitting there playing truth or dare while Kalifa and Iceberg discussed business. It had better bring up the blueprints they were looking for.

"I'm going home now." Lulu said standing up. "Good night everyone."

"YEAH I'M LEAVING TOO. GOOD NIGHT!" Tilestone said getting to his feet.

Lucci sighed silently when Kaku made no move to leave the bar.

"Okay, than it's just the three of us now." Paulie said. He was half drunk now, and he was getting on Lucci's nerves.

"Truth or dare?" Kaku asked Paulie.

"DARE!" Paulie cried out, jumping to his feet.

"Hmm... Okay, than how about you beg Iceberg for a raise?" Kaku asked. Lucci could tell by his expression that he didn't expect Paulie to go along with it. To both of their surprise, he fell to his knees in front of Iceberg and literally begged him for a raise. It went on for about five minutes before Iceberg realised that Paulie was serious and he gave him a raise just to shut him up.

"Knew I could do it!" Paulie cried triumphantly.

"Okay. It's my turn than. I guess I'll pick dare too." Kaku said.

"Okay... Hmmmmm..." Paulie looked thoughtful for a moment before an evil smile crept across his face. "I dare you to kiss the best looking person in the room."

Kaku's face immediately turned blood red. "W-What!?"

"I already know that you're going to pick Kalifa, so just get it over with." Paulie said with a smirk.

"I... I.. What!? N-No! I refuse!" Kaku cried. He was completely flustered.

Lucci shot Paulie a look, but made no comment. It had been a cruel joke to play, and under normal circumstances, Lucci would have killed Paulie for it, but now he was undercover, so he seethed silently.

"Okay, fine. Usually I'd kick you out of the game for refusing, but since you're so damn cute, I'll let it slide." Paulie laughed.

Now Kaku's eyes were wide along with his blush and his mouth was slightly open in shock. This set Lucci off. Paulie had called _his_ Kaku cute.

"Coo coo! I'll take that dare Paulie." Lucci stated, getting to his feet.

"Oh really? Okay then." Paulie said, leaning back in his chair.

Lucci calmly strode towards Kaku and crushed his lips into the younger man's, roughly, almost aggressively. There was dead silence as Lucci straightened up from the kiss and returned to his seat.

Paulie was staring at Lucci with his mouth hung open, barely able to remain in his seat from the shock. Blueno, Kalifa, and Iceberg didn't seem to notice what had happened, but Kaku was hunching in his seat, pulling his hat down to try to hide his face, as he usually did when he was embarrassed.

"Now then," Lucci said. "Who's turn is it?"

**~Kaku's POV~**

The rest of the night had been pretty uneventful, everyone picking truth after the kissing incident.

Now as he walked home with Lucci, Kaku began to wonder about their relationship. Were they now boyfriends now that they had kissed in public? Had Lucci meant for it to look like they were boyfriends? Why did the idea of being Rob Lucci's boyfriend sound so appealing to him?

Kaku couldn't help but glance at Lucci every now and then as they walked, and it only made him more anxious. He needed an answer to his question, but it didn't look as if it would come any time soon. With a sigh, Kaku decided to be bold. He stepped towards Lucci and held his hand. Lucci glanced at their hands and raise one eyebrow quizzically.

"What's this all about, coo coo?" he asked.

"Well, since you showed me affection so publically, I thought I would do the same." Kaku said defiantly.

Lucci simply shrugged, but he didn't pull his hand away.

This sent a surge of hope through Kaku. This might mean that their relationship was actually something. When they reached Kaku's door, he couldn't help but be annoyed. "Why do days have to end so quickly?" he muttered, more to himself than to Lucci.

"Everything ends. That's life." Lucci said quietly in his normal voice.

"It's not fair." Kaku mumbled. He felt like a child for saying it, but it was how he felt.

"Life's not fair. You know that." Lucci wrapped his arms around Kaku, a bit too tightly. Kaku didn't mind though, even if Lucci was possessive, Kaku wasn't going to question what he did. That would be a dumb idea.

"Good night, Kaku." Lucci whispered, kissing him softly, just below his jaw line.

"Good night." Kaku replied, a little breathlessly.

When Lucci had left, Kaku stood still for a moment and stared up at the stars. It had been a year since they had come to Water 7, and it was still hard to believe that he was looking up at the same sky as he did when he was at Enies Lobby. If he had of been born in Water 7, and Lucci had too, how would their lives have played out? What would Lucci be like if the World Government hadn't molded him into a killing machine?

He would never know, and the very thought depressed him. Why couldn't life be as simple back in Enies Lobby with CP9 as it was here in Water 7 with Galley La? Why couldn't Kaku take CP9 here and show them how they could live? They were the closest thing he had to a family, and yet he couldn't even help them to be happy. How would they all be if they were happy? Honestly and truly happy.

With a sigh, Kaku turned and walked into his house, dreading the moment when he would have to wake up from the beautiful dream that was Water 7.

**~Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying it so far! I think I am going to make a sequel when I'm done with this story. Please R&R! ~FoxEmpress**


	13. Chapter 13: Jealousy

**~Chapter 13: Jealousy~**

**~Kaku's POV~**

The next day when Kaku arrived for work, walking side by side with Lucci, he wasn't surprised to see Paulie look at them and blush.

"Good morning, Paulie!" Kaku called cheerfully.

"Mornin', Kaku." Paulie said, glancing at Lucci.

"Coo coo! Good morning." Lucci said, returning Paulie's glance with an icy one of his own.

They set to work as usual, but Kaku could tell that things were tense between Lucci and Paulie. He was relieved and a little worried when Iceberg sent him away to assess a ship. Relieved because he could escape the tension, worried because he was worried that a fight would break out between Paulie and Lucci while he was gone.

Kaku took off running and jumped off of the wall by the shipyard, down into the city below him. The feeling of freedom it gave him when he could feel the rush of the wind all around him never got any duller than the first time he had done it. When Kalifa had first seen him doing it, she had been angry.

"You're going to give us away!" she had snapped.

"Don't worry about it." Lucci had stated. "The shipwright's here are known to be strong, so it's not that odd that it should draw any more attention to us."

Kaku had been happy that Lucci hadn't sided with Kalifa. Travelling by yagara bulls was slow and tedious for him. He would much rather jump through Water 7 than use the waterways.

The Mountain Wind. He liked the nickname. He liked Water 7.

By the time Kaku got back from his trip to the ship, it was mid-afternoon. He walked up to dock one, preparing to tell Paulie about his assessment when he heard a crash.

Kaku rushed into the yard to see Paulie on the ground, Lucci stood over him.

"What the-" Kaku gasped. "What did you...?"

That was when he felt a sharp pain in his back. With a cry he fell to his knees. _Pirates._ he thought as he felt blood streaming from the slash on his back.

Lucci was attacking the pirate who had attacked Kaku immediately. Kaku knew that Lucci wouldn't hold back, and he was a bit nervous. Well, at least Lucci could say that it was an accident that the pirate died.

When Kaku got back to his feet, he too began to attack the pirates. There weren't too many of them, so the task to drive them off wasn't too difficult. The only issue was that they had had the element of surprise.

Some of the ships had been damaged in the raid, so after the pirates were dealt with the shipwright's had a lot of work to do. Kaku had been right about the pirate who had attacked him. Lucci had ensured that his death wasn't _to_ quick and painless.

Iceberg told Kaku to take a break for the day and to go have a doctor check out the slash on his back. Reluctantly, he agreed.

By the time evening came and Lucci was off of work, the damage from the pirates still hadn't been repaired.

"Coo coo! There are still five ships that are damaged, but that's not the important thing." Lucci said as they sat in Kaku's kitchen. "I need to know if you're injured too badly."

"I'm fine. The doctor said that it could have been worse." Kaku said. He really was touched that Lucci cared enough about him that he would ask him about his injuries.

He frowned. "When I saw Paulie injured, I really thought that you did it."

"Why would I do that without any reason, coo coo?"

"You two didn't seem to be getting along very good today, that's all."

"True." Lucci admitted in his real voice.

"Does that give you a sore throat?" Kaku asked.

"No, I'm used to it." Lucci said.

The rest of the night had passed uneventfully, and Kaku went to bead with his back aching from the attack earlier.

**~Lucci's POV~**

Lucci tried not to be jealous. He really did. It just didn't work well.

Every time he saw Paulie look at Kaku, he couldn't help but feel a fierce desire to rip his head off. He guessed that Paulie really did like Kaku, and that concerned him. Paulie had so much more to offer Kaku than Lucci did. Paulie was alive. He lived, he loved, he laughed, he _felt_. He was a man, not a weapon like Lucci. Kaku could live so much more with Paulie.

Yet Kaku showed no sign of having any feelings for Paulie. Kaku still seemed to want to talk to Lucci, but sometimes Lucci noticed that Kaku would look at Paulie, than at Lucci and there would be something strange in his eyes.

Pity.

Why would Kaku pity Lucci? He didn't need pity, and why did he always go quiet when he thought about Paulie and Lucci? It was strange. Lucci may like Kaku, but he didn't want his pity, that was for sure.

Lucci sat on the edge of his bed, his mind wandering back to Enies Lobby when it had just been Kaku and himself. Kaku seemed happier here, but why? Was he in love with Water 7, or was he in love with Paulie? These were the questions that Lucci needed answered, but how could he answer them himself? He knew nothing of love. He couldn't ask anyone, that was for sure. The very idea made Lucci want to growl.

There was only one solution. If Paulie ever seemed to pose a threat, Lucci would just dispose of him. He wasn't vital to the mission anyway. Iceberg would be the one who had the blueprints for Pluton, not Paulie.

Lucci smiled slightly as he lay in his bed, stroking Hattori's feathers absently. Memories flooded his mind of Kaku's body next to his as they lay in bed. Kaku's gentle smile as he tried to fend off Lucci's demons. Kaku's lips on his when they were alone.

When he was alone with Kaku, he truly felt like he could try to reach for the emotions he had locked away ever since he was six years old. Try was the key word, but still, it was a start.

Kaku was the one thing other than violence and killing that brought happiness to him. He refused to lose him. He wouldn't. Lucci would kill anyone who tried to take Kaku away from him.

**~Hope you liked it! Please R&R! ~FoxEmpress**


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